


sunset

by laconicGhost



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Angst, End of the World, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Smoking, also im incapable of writing anything but sad things apparently, hajime needs to cut back on his cigarettes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 13:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3530612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laconicGhost/pseuds/laconicGhost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Shut up, idiot, that's not what I meant," he growls, releasing Tooru from his hold as he pads to the center of the room."This is the only room in the place that we won't have to stare at the sky." He lets out a long breath he didn't know he was holding when he takes a seat on the end of the bed, lacing his fingers together as he deflates. His voice turns bitter. "I can't stand looking at that sky."</p><p>Tooru is quiet, taking in Hajime's worn down appearence, and stands for another moment in the door frame before he lightly steps over a few pieces of clothing laying on the floor and takes a seat next to his dark haired friend on the mattress.</p><p>"I know," he says quietly, folding his hands in his lap. "Neither can I."</p>
            </blockquote>





	sunset

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is alternatively titled "i watched the movie 'knowing' with my dad and its not even that great but it still made me think of end of the world iwaoi so i wrote some" and i dont even know where it came from?? wow okay
> 
> also so i dont confuse you guys!! i headcanon hajime having like three younger brothers (and they all look the same) and tooru having two older sisters (takeru is his eldest sister's child) SO that's what they're talking about over the phone lol
> 
> hope you enjoy!

Hajime never thought that he would see the world end. He never would have believed someone if they sat down and looked him in the eye, telling him that the world was going to end because of a solar flare. He would have laughed in their face.

He wasn't laughing now.

Staring at the television screen, fizzling in and out of focus because of the electromagnetic waves interfering with the signal, listening to the reporter repeating the same message to get to safety and avoid going outside, Iwaizumi Hajime wasn't ready to die. He was barely a few months out of university, finally able to afford his own apartment so he could live on his own without the help of his parents, and there was so many things he had planned on doing with his life. Dying this early was not on his list.

The heat was sweltering, as it had been for the past few weeks, but today it seemed even worse than usual. Normally, the heat was never really something that bothered the dark brunet. It reminded him of the summers of his childhood, catching dragonflies and playing in the clear waters of the pond that was nearby his home. Right now it just reminded him that he, along with the rest of the world's population, was about to be burned to a crisp.

Wonderful.

Hajime reaches for his pack of cigarettes when he figures it's the last thing he'll be able to do, but he stops with his hand hovering over the package. He grits his teeth before he leaves them on the side of the table and instead reaches for his phone, flips it open and starts shifting through his list of contacts as he rests back in the sticky, faux leather chair that sat in the very center of his apartment. He doesn't know what he's looking for, but he still scans through his contacts disinterestedly as he sinks lower in his seat. He considers calling his parents again when he sees their names, but he's not entirely sure whether or not he could handle hearing his mother sob into the receiver while his father tries to comfort her. He decides against it and instead keeps scrolling down the phone before hes interrupted by an incoming call. Hajime knows who it is before he even reads the caller ID.

Of course _he'd_ be calling when the world was ending.

Pressing the receive button, he answers the call and pulls the phone to his ear, bracing himself for whatever his caller is going to say. At first there's silence, and Hajime knows he'd being expected to speak first, but he doesn't know what he should say to him. He settles on playing it safe.

"Oikawa."

There's a relieved sigh. _"Iwa-chan. Are you safe?"_

Hajime sits up straight and looks out his window of his apartment, three stories off the ground. He snorts. "Nope." He can already see Tooru frowning at his blatant disregard of his own life, calling him stubborn and stupid, but Hajime knows better. He knows that even if he does go underground like all the people on TV tell him to, the radiation from the flares will definitely sink down into the ground eventually. He'd rather die instantly in a split second than go mad from lack of food or water if he has to chose between the two. 

He won't tell that to Tooru though.

Hajime sighs and runs a hand through his sweaty hair, leaning forward in his seat as he turns his line of sight away from the television's uneasy spitting, and continues their conversation without skipping a beat. "How about you?"

 _"I'm... at home right now. My oldest sister took Takeru down to the caves, but my other sister is here with Mom and Dad. Dad says he refuses to leave his home when this all goes down, and he thinks this will all just blow over."_ Tooru laughs, but voice sounds quiet, like he's trying to hold himself together. His voice turns concerned, and Hajime can see the caramel brunet chewing his thumbnail almost as if he was standing right next to him. _"That doesn't matter right now, though. If you're not safe, where are you?"_

Hajime thinks for a moment, tries to think about if he really wants Tooru to know where he is right now, because he knows that there was a huge chance that Tooru would get up and leave his family to join him. He gets out of his seat and crosses his apartment to the window, observing the bright oranges and reds of the sky as he sighs again. As much as he doesn't want to realize it, a significant part of him wants to be with Tooru in their last moments. Tooru calls his name from the other side of the line and snaps Hajime out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. "What?"

_"Where are you?"_

Hajime exhales heavily, his hand straying to rest on his neck. He figures there's no use in lying to Tooru.

"I'm in my apartment."

Tooru falls silent for a few seconds, and Hajime starts to think again as he stares out at the people scurrying around in the streets, hurrying to get back to loved ones before this solar flare really hits and everyone is burned alive. He thinks about his mother and father, back at their own home sitting with Hajime's brothers as they prepare for the worst to come. It's then that Hajime feels a bit guilty that he's not there at home with them, but with no way to travel there now there's no point in going. He's said his goodbyes. Now all he has to do is wait for the inevitable.

 _"Iwa-chan?"_ Tooru's voice is in his ear again. _"Did you hear me?"_

"Mmm?" Hajime hums in question, because he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to really hear what Tooru had said on the other side of the line. Their connection crackles and his heart stutters in his chest, afraid the line will phase out, but it restarts when Tooru sighs and tuts his tongue.

_"Dummy Iwa-chan. Do I need to say it slower so you can understand me?"_

Hajime feels a pang of irritation at the insult and he growls into the phone, "Spit it out, Assikawa. I don't have all day." This is when the dark brunet decides he's seen enough of the the outside havoc adding to his stress, especially if Tooru is on the line with him, and tucks the cell phone between his shoulder and ear. He pulls the curtains in front of the window to try and block out the red sky, but there's still an angry, orange glow that seeps out from underneath and spills into the room. Hajime glares at the ground and clenches his jaw, taking his phone in his hand again. Tooru laughs on the other end of the line before he speaks again.

_"I said I'm coming over."_

There it is. Hajime sometimes thinks he knows Tooru better than he knows himself, and as much as he wants to tell his friend that he should stay home with his family in their final moments, every fiber of Hajime's being is telling him no. It's selfish, really. He only wants Tooru for himself; he wants to feel Tooru beside him as that final flare hits.

That was the problem with loving someone so deeply.

Hajime sighs for the third time that call before he sits back down on the warm pleather chair, gripping his phone harder in his grasp because he feels like he might drop it before the call is over, his hand is so sweaty. His voice is rough as he stares at the television screen flicker and skip. "Do you remember where it is?"

_"Of course I do. I've been there plenty of times, remember?"_

Of course Hajime does. Even in the short amount of time that he's owned the apartment, Tooru had still made his appearances frequent. The two of them had spent many nights here together, and the dark brunet flushes heatedly at the memories. Even when Hajime doesn't answer verbally, Tooru's voice quietly pulls him back to the present.

 _"_ _'ll be there soon."_

The call ends before Hajime can say another word, and he lets his phone clatter onto the side table as he takes a deep breath in, and then lets it out slowly, but shakily. Even though he's relieved that he won't burn alone, there's still a guilt that grabs his heart when he thinks about Tooru's family. He wonders if they would forgive him for taking their son and brother away in the end. Wonders if they realize why exactly Tooru is giving them up for Hajime. The dark haired boy scowls at the ground before he gives up and reaches for his pack of cigarettes and fishes for one. He continues to think as he fumbles for his lighter and smokes his cigarette.

It feels like an eternity that Hajime sits in the near silence of his apartment, smoking away his last pack of cigarettes one by one, listening to the static of the television, before there's a knock at the door; before Hajime stands up from his chair and crosses his apartment, tobacco hanging from his mouth as he opens the door and takes in the sight of his childhood friend standing there just like he said he would. Tooru's flushed, suffering the same heat that the rest of the world is suffering from, a few beads of sweat rolling down his cheek as he breathes hard. The fleeting thought that Tooru probably ran a good distance to get here so quickly flashes though Hajime's mind before it's taken over by another realization. It's _this_ Tooru that is so familiar to Hajime, it makes him remember all the other times that the brunet has looked like this. Standing on a court, all those years ago, fingers taped up from sending so many serves over the net. The memory fades as soon as it appears and Hajime swallows, relief spreading from his chest all the way down to his toes as he removes the cigarette from his lips.

"You kept me waiting," he says finally, and Tooru sighs, rolling his eyes as he crosses his arms in an attempt to try and hide how tired he actually looked.

"I just ran from my parents house so make sure I got here before we all blew up, and you _still_ say I'm late. You're so _mean_ ," he says, a tiny whine in his tone, but he still manages a breathless laugh that causes Hajime's heart to soar, all the guilt he felt earlier falling away beneath him. The brunet at the door studies the tobacco still burning between Hajime's fingers and makes a face, jutting out his bottom lip and wrinkling his nose. "And you're smoking again. Dumb and mean, huh, Iwa-chan?"

Hajime narrows his eyes and moves to the side of the door to let the taller man in, pulling the cigarette back up to his lips and taking a long drag as the end flickers up and burns yellow-orange, matching the unsettling color of the sky before he blows the smoke across the room and shuts the door when Tooru is inside. "Barely here two minutes and you're already crawling up my ass about my bad habits," he grumbles. "Asshole."

Tooru looks his way again, sticking out his tongue as he crosses over to the window. "No one else will," he says matter-of-factly, pulling back the curtain just a bit to see the sky. A strip of fire-red light cuts down his face and his faint smile disappears, letting the curtain fall back into place as he closes his eyes and breathes out. He grips the windowsill tightly. "Even if... we only have a little bit of time left."

Hajime falls silent, finding his last cigarette had been reduced to just a filter when he wasn't paying attention and he moves to crush the remnant into his cluttered ashtray. He considers a million things he could say to Tooru right now: things to comfort him, things that could turn him on his heel in an instant... but nothing he would say could change anything. Looking up to see that Tooru is still facing the window, his eyes shut tightly like hes trying to block everything out of his mind, the words that Hajime was reaching for float to his fingertips.

"Oikawa," he says, and the brunet turns to look at him warily. Hajime reaches a hand out, beckoning him over to his side. "Let's get away from the windows. Come on." Tooru stares for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder once at the window before he nods and takes his friend's hand. Tooru's fingers are freezing, despite the temperature of the air around them, and as Hajime leads him away from the living room and into the only room in his apartment that lacked a substantial source of outside light he focuses on trying to push all of his own warmth into the cold appendages. They feel slightly warmer when they arrive at their destination: Hajime's bedroom.

Tooru snorts when he sees where Hajime has taken him, slapping a hand over his mouth to prevent himself for bursting out laughing and Hajime burns, ducking his head as he grits his teeth.

"Iwa-chan, I'm flattered, but right now?" he teases, silenced by letting out a yelp when Hajime grips his hand hard enough to hurt.

"Shut up, idiot, that's not what I meant," he growls, releasing Tooru from his hold as he pads to the center of the room."This is the only room in the place that we won't have to stare at the sky." He lets out a long breath he didn't know he was holding when he takes a seat on the end of the bed, lacing his fingers together as he deflates. His voice turns bitter. "I can't _stand_ looking at that sky."

Tooru is quiet, taking in Hajime's worn down appearence, and stands for another moment in the door frame before he lightly steps over a few pieces of clothing laying on the floor and takes a seat next to his dark haired friend on the mattress.

"I know," he says quietly, folding his hands in his lap. "Neither can I."

They're quiet for a few moments, just sitting in each other's presence as they listen to the faint sound of the television Hajime forgot to turn off crackle in and out of signal before Tooru laughs a little. Hajime glances over to see Tooru looking at the ceiling.

"You know, I never got to find out if aliens existed," he says simply, and the statement causes Hajime to stop and stare. Was he being serious? A sound rumbles in Hajime's chest, coming out as a snort and before he knows it he's laughing wildly at the statement before he can hold it in. Tooru gives him a bewildered look before he realizes he's being ridiculed and he starts to pout again, punching Hajime in the arm. "Stop making fun of me! That was a serious question I grew up wondering!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hajime manages, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "It's just... of course you'd still be worried about aliens in your final moments."

Tooru lifts his chin higher, huffing as he crosses his arms and looks away. "I'm sorry if outer space interests me, Iwa-chan." There's a crack in his voice and he bites his lip, sinking back down in his seat. "I just never would have expected that outer space would end up being the thing that killed me." His brown eyes dart back to Hajime's. "Or you."

Hajime lets his smile fall away from his face and he looks across the floor of his room, nudging Tooru's shoulder gently with his own. "I never would have thought the thing that actually keeps us alive would be the thing that ended it all either. You know, I always thought that I'd die when I was ready. I'm not." He pauses, finding that he can't look at Tooru as he murmurs, "But... I'm glad I get to spend my last few minutes alive with you."

Tooru sucks in a little breath, and Hajime knows somehow without looking that he has a smile plastered onto his face before he leans into Hajime's side, resting his head on Hajime's shoulder. "I'm happy too," he breathes, reaching over and twining their fingers together. It feels natural, their fingers meld together so perfectly even after not seeing each other for a while. The dark brunet notices Tooru's fingers are warm now, and Hajime lets a fracture of a smile show as he lays his head on top of Tooru's.

"What did you say to your family?" Hajime has to ask, as the question had been burning inside of him since the brunet had arrived. Tooru hums a little bit in thought, nuzzling closer to his partner while he thinks. The dark haired boy continues further, his voice raspy. "Did they even ask why you were leaving them to be... to be with me instead?"

Tooru sighs, and there's an air of sadness that settles over him that swallows the both of them whole. "I told them... that I was going to be with the the person I loved the most in the end," he murmurs after another second, and something about the words cause Hajime to sit upright. He's not sure if it's the melancholy tone of them, or the fact that this is the first time Hajime has heard Tooru say something so genuinely about the two of them being together, but it suprises him all the same. He turns his head to look at the brunet slowly just as Tooru pulls back, afraid he's said something wrong as he bites his lip. His cheeks darken with pink and he lets out a nervous titter of laughter, eyes darting away when he notices that Hajime is staring at him so intently.

"Do... you really mean that?" Hajime asks, his voice thin and he's not sure why he feels tears in his throat all the sudden but he knows they're there, because it's hard to get his voice out and his voice nearly wobbles when he says it. Tooru looks at him strangely before he smiles, one of those real smiles that Hajime spends so long looking for that actually shows up in those warm brown eyes.

"Of course I do, Iwa-chan," he murmurs softly. His expression changes instantly as he grins deviously, winking at him. "Even if I do have to put up with your stupidity and short temper."

Hajime rolls his eyes, earning a yip from the curly haired brunet when he headbutts Tooru gently, not enough to hurt but enough to suprise him. "You're such a brat," he mutters, keeping their forheads pressed together as he gives Tooru's hand a rough squeeze. He pulls their lips together in a quick peck before he exhales deeply and moves his head down to press his face into the nape of Tooru's neck, breathing in the smell of his skin. "I love you."

Tooru gives a jolt before his free hand cards through Hajime's dark locks, and Hajime was feel the vibrations from his throat when he responds quietly. "I love you too, Iwa-chan. I'm glad..." he pauses to clear his throat. "I'm glad I get to be here with you when it ends."

Hajime presses a lazy kiss against the side of Tooru's neck once, humming in agreement before he returns to just lay his head on Tooru's shoulder. They sit there in silence once again, Tooru pulling his fingers through Hajime's hair as he rests his chin on the top of the dark brunet's hair while Hajime tries to focus on only his childhood friend and partner. They both stiffen when a distant rumbling is heard.

"Hajime--" Tooru whimpers, an edge of panic in his voice, and Hajime knows instantly the end is near. He sucks in a shaky breath before he pulls Tooru into a tight embrace, shutting his eyes tightly as the roar grows louder. Tooru is holding him to tightly he can barely breathe, but he doesn't care as he hears the television cut out.

"It's alright, Tooru," he reassures quietly. "It'll be over soon."

There's a brilliant flash of light, and the last thing Hajime feels is Tooru's arms around him as the light engulfs them both.


End file.
